The present invention relates to bicycles, and more particularly to a novel guard or scraper for dislodging debris which has accumulated on the tires of a bicycle.
Modern bicycles are designed for speed, and are generally built with a lightweight frame and wheel construction. The wheels may include thin-walled tires mounted on lightweight rims. While the overall lightweight construction enhances speed and handling of the bicycle, the lightweight tire construction is particularly susceptible to road damage.
Specifically, lightweight tires may accumulate debris such as glass fragments, nails, sharp rocks, etc. within the grooves of the tire. It may take only a single revolution of the tire for the debris to penetrate the tire's thickness and cause a puncture. The relatively thin-walled construction of modern bicycle tires combined with the relatively fast riding speed make punctures not only inevitable but extremely hazardous.
There have been attempts in the prior art to provide so-called mud guards for removing mud or other debris from tires of a bicycle. The mud guards generally include rather cumbersome and bulky constructions which may impede the handling and performance characteristics of a bicycle. Furthermore, prior art mud guards generally include multiple component parts which require a rather time-consuming assembly. Additionally, if it is necessary to remove a damaged mud guard, considerable effort may be required.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a bicycle-mounted scraper for dislodging accumulated debris from a bicycle tire which includes a unitary blade and mounting member. The mounting member is detachabley secured to a frame member of the bicycle (such as a front or rear strut) and is positioned so that an edge of the blade member is disposed adjacent a portion of the outer circumference of the tire. Thus, upon revolution of the tire, any accumulated debris will contact the blade and be scraped therefrom.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a scraper in which the mounting member is disposed at an angle relative to the blade and includes an inner surface contoured for substantially conforming to at least a portion of the frame member's contour. Generally, this contour will be concave so that the mounting member may fit relatively flush against a cylindrical frame member. Interposed between the frame member and the concave surface is adhesive material for securing the scraper to the frame member.
Still another object of the present invention, as set forth in a second embodiment, is to provide a scraper having a unitary blade and mounting member which may be detachably secured to a fender of a bicycle. The mounting member is disposed at an angle relative to the blade and includes a surface, facing toward the tire, contoured for substantially conforming to at least a portion of the fender.
Still another object of the invention, as set forth in the second embodiment, is to provide a scraper in which the mounting member includes a first element disposed at an angle relative to the blade and a second element extending from said first element, said second element including a surface, facing toward the tire, contoured for substantially conforming to at least a portion of the fender. This construction results in a fender-mounted scraper which is somewhat more resilient than a scraper having a mounting of only a single element. Specifically, a mounting having two elements permits increased movement of the blade relative to the fender upon contact of a blade edge with debris on the tire.
These and additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.